The Walkley Foundation an Alliance Initiative

A moving portrayal of a sex worker and her disabled clients, an innovative and thought-provoking exploration of life as a refugee and a story about death and life on Palm Island are the finalists in the inaugural Walkley Documentary Award.

The Walkley Documentary Award - sponsored by Linc Energy - attracted 37 entries including investigative, biographical and first-person stories reflecting the emotion and drama of the human experience.

The finalists are:

The Tall Man by Darren Dale, Tony Krawitz and Chloe Hooper.

This adaptation of Chloe Hooper’s multi award-winning book The Tall Man examines the events surrounding the death of Cameron Doomadgee who swore at policeman Christopher Hurley and died 40 minutes later in a watch-house cell.  

Comments: The judges felt that this was powerful documentary making, deconstructing the circumstances surrounding Doomadgee’s death. The film skilfully handles the complexities of both the legal and emotional issues.  Hooper’ and her colleagues have taken marginalised characters and given them a voice not heard before. This is the key to this film’s success.

Scarlet Road by Catherine Scott and Pat Fiske

This documentary follows the life of a sex worker, Rachel, who works with clients who have a disability.  The producers say they wanted to create a documentary that tackled stereotypes head on.

Comments: The judges have described Scarlet Road as an astonishing and illuminating insight into a part of society that is often hidden. Through the character of Rachel we are taken on a journey about sexuality and disability that is surprising, funny, moving, informative and confronting. The filmmaker takes us into areas of human intimacy with fearlessness, compassion and sensitivity.

Go Back to Where You Came From by Rick McPhee, Ivan O'Mahoney, Michael Cordell and Nick Murray

Six Australians experience the life of a refugee for 25 days. This documentary film adapted from the SBS series which aired earlier this year, challenges a group of Australians – and through them, the viewer - to imagine what life would be like as a refugee.

Comments: The judges were impressed by the audacious and original choice to transplant the asylum seeker debate within a Survivor–style reality TV format. As a result, Go Back to Where You Came From achieves a rare thing: it harnesses emotion and empathy to challenge the biases not only of its characters, but of its audience.

Mrs Carey's Concert by Bob Connolly and Sophie Raymond, and Prisoner of War by Renata Gombac, made the Award's long list but were not finalists.

The winner will be announced on November 27 at the Walkley Awards in Brisbane.

For media enquiries or to organise an interview with any of documentary makers or the chair of the judging panel, Quentin Dempster, please contact Kylie Johnson on 0405 425 665 or kjmedia@optusnet.com.au.

Judges’ comments, cover shots, and author headshots and biographies are available on request

Media enquiries: Kylie Johnson 0405 425 665 or kjmedia@optusnet.com.au